Building the Nation – Kochi Chapter: Partner

The Kochi edition of Building the Nation, organised by CRN India in association with Dell Technologies and Intel, convened on September 19, 2025, at Holiday Inn Cochin, drawing the participation of 55+ channel partners. The session underscored how Dell and Intel, together with their partner ecosystem, are enabling businesses to embrace next-generation technologies such as AI, modern IT infrastructure, and sustainable solutions to drive growth in India’s digital economy.

Welcoming the delegates, Praveen Kumar, Director & Founder, Qbic Catalyst Partners Pvt Ltd, set the tone by highlighting the pivotal role of the partner ecosystem in India’s digital journey. He emphasised that technology adoption across industries is accelerating, but its true impact can only be realised when partners translate innovation into real-world business outcomes.

From Dell Technologies’ perspective, Samriddhi Bhattacharya, Director & General Manager, Dell Technologies India, reaffirmed the company’s Partner First strategy, stressing that partners are at the centre of Dell’s growth model. She elaborated on Dell’s initiatives such as RISE and Dell Partner Advantage, which simplify rewards, enhance profitability, and provide training and co-marketing support. “We need partners like yourselves as strategic partners to cater to our customers more efficiently,” she said, adding that Dell works closely with partners, going to market as one team. Bhattacharya also urged partners to embrace AI and sustainability training as integral to future business success, while pointing to Dell’s significant investments in growth and acquisitions that expand opportunities across industries.

Dell also showcased its newly launched AI-powered PC portfolio, i.e., Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max, designed with built-in NPUs (Neural Processing Units) to handle AI workloads directly on the device. These next-generation PCs enable faster, more secure, and energy-efficient execution of tasks like transcription, content creation, and data analysis without always relying on the cloud. Positioned as a game-changer for MSMEs, the AI PCs combine enterprise-grade performance with user-friendly design, helping businesses improve productivity, strengthen data privacy, and reduce operational costs while staying future-ready.

Also the highlight was the new Dell Pro Essential series, which is business-ready and affordable, starting at ₹31,999. It is designed for everyday business needs. Despite its affordability, Essentials doesn’t compromise on performance. It offers robust security, Full HD+ displays with a 16:10 aspect ratio, up to 10 hours of battery life, and MIL-STD-810G military-grade durability, ideal for the Gen Z workforce and SMEs alike. Plus, it supports open standards, ensuring compatibility with all peripherals, monitors, headsets, and more.

Bringing the Intel perspective, Kumar spotlighted how AI is transforming personal computing and how partners can ride this wave with Intel’s innovations. He detailed Intel’s latest Core Ultra Series 2 portfolio, including Intel Core Ultra, Intel vPro, Intel Xeon, and Intel Gaudi, purpose-built to power AI workloads across industries. He stressed Intel’s commitment to heavy investments in AI for banking, retail, healthcare, software, and telco, creating rich opportunities for partners. Kumar also drew attention to Intel’s RISE Programme and Intel Partner Alliance Programme, both designed to reward and empower partners. “If any partner sells any component of Intel as well, they get points for everything they sell,” he noted, explaining how Intel’s comprehensive partner model extends incentives, training, certifications, and marketing support to accelerate growth.

The session concluded with a call to action for partners to shift their positioning from “box sellers” to consultants and value-added solution providers. The speakers collectively urged the audience to lead conversations around AI integration, lifecycle management, security, and sustainability, areas where customers increasingly seek guidance and outcomes rather than just products.

The Kochi edition of Building the Nation thus reinforced Dell Technologies and Intel’s vision of nurturing a thriving partner ecosystem, one that is equipped with the tools, incentives, and innovations needed to drive India’s digital transformation forward.